Rekindled Fire
by Akiko Natsuko
Summary: A single ember is enough to rekindle the fire. Set after the end of the series, what happens to a clan without it's King? Disclaimer: I don't own K or it's characters, I've just borrowed them.
1. Chapter 1

This has been lurking in my ideas file for a while – this is the main story that Rekindled Fire –Oneshot is taken from (no need to read it separately as it will be a chapter of this story).

Disclaimer: K and it's characters don't belong to me, I have just borrowed them and promise to give them back before the film :D

K-K-K

_A single ember is enough to rekindle the fire._

K

Yata stirred restlessly in his seat in the corner of Homra, his gaze flicking from person to person as he silently contemplated the other members currently present. Despite the loss of their King, and the resulting loss of their powers and clan bond that being bound to Mikoto had given them the majority of Homra had remained. A few had drifted away to seek a new life in this new crimson-less world, but most had rallied, the group becoming even closer as they sought refuge in the bar and with each other.

A pang went through him as his thoughts drifted as always towards Mikoto, a scowl flickering across his face as the guilt that had plagued him since that night rose once more. He knew that it was ridiculous, that even if he had been there at his King's side he wouldn't have been able to make a difference – it had been a battle of Kings and he was a mere foot-soldier. He knew this, and yet the guilt still gnawed at him, making him question every action and decision he'd made in that fight and in the days leading up to it.

It was made worse by the fact that wherever he looked there were changes, both subtle and not in his friends and family…in the few clashes they'd had with the Blues since that fateful day. Even now an unnatural quiet hung over the bar, the rowdiness that had always filled it just as quenched as their fire. Suddenly moist eyes fell on Anna, the young strain was sat at the bar playing listlessly with her marbles as she had every days since _he_ died. She had adored Mikoto and he had been the colour in her world, and the pain of both losses was written across her face.

Forcing himself to look away before he lost control over the brew tears, he found himself watching Izumo working silently behind the bar. The former second-in-command seemed as calm and composed as always, but there was something lacking about the effort he put into tending his beloved bar and an edge to his voice as he spoke softly to Anna. Mikoto had often doubted it, but HOMRA needed a King…no, more specifically they needed Mikoto.

Pressure was building in his chest, a terrifying mixture of grief, guilt and anger although he wasn't entirely sure who he was angry with. Himself? Mikoto? The Blues? The Silvers? He swallowed hard trying to rein in the wave of emotions, realising that he needed to get away before they could break free. He might not have his clan powers anymore but his temper was explosive enough on his own, and it was the last thing that the other's needed at the moment.

Abruptly he got to his feet, and Kamamoto turned to look at him startled by the sudden movement. "Yata-san?" He asked, concerned eyes hidden by his sunglasses as he examined the teen quietly, noting the turbulent emotions in the sharp eyes.

"I'm going for a skate," Yata replied sharply, sighing as the other flinched at his tone and softening his expression. "I'll be back a bit later," he added more quietly, after all where else would he go? HOMRA was his home. Quietly he scooped up his skateboard and slipped out of the door, not noticing Izumo's concerned expression or the sudden spark of excitement in Anna's eyes as she straightened staring intently at her marbles.

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For a while he drifted aimlessly around the city, not even enjoying the sense of freedom that his skateboard usually triggered. The only time he emerged from his haze was when he shot past a small group of Scepter-4 men, his eyes narrowing as he realised that Fushimi was with them. However, after the slightest hesitation he continued on his way, the mocking smile sent his way not able to distract him from his thoughts.

Fushimi frowned as his hot-headed rival's expression relaxed back into blankness, and without even an insult the teen turned and skated away. The Blue could only watch with confusion as Yata disappeared out of sight, unable to believe that Mikoto's death had been enough to extinguish the other's constant need to argue and fight. For a long moment he contemplated chasing after the other teen, but the rest of his group were waiting for him and Munakata had been on edge since the 'Incident' and he wasn't keen to incur his wrath at least for a while.

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He wasn't entirely sure why, but when he finally drifted to a halt it was to find himself in front of the building where Totsuka had died. His gaze wandered upwards and he stared up towards the roof, his gut clenching at the reminder of what had happened there and what it had led to. However, something made him scoop up his board and head inside and up to the rooftop, although he hesitated for a good ten minutes inside the access door.

Eventually he stepped silently out onto the rooftop, his eyes automatically darting to the sport where his friend had died in his arms. A lump rising in his throat as the memory replayed in his mind, a shudder going through him as recalled the warm dampness that had soaked his clothes even as Totsuka had grown still and cold in his arms. The sense of pressure from earlier had returned and it was rising steadily on his chest, and with shaky steps he moved across to the wall, sinking limply to the floor. His gaze turned skywards as it began to rain, wondering why the sky was able to mourn for his friend's when his tears refused to fall.

"Mikoto, Totsuka," he whispered wondering if they were somewhere up there watching what was becoming of their family now they were gone. That thought haunted him and remained staring desperately up at the sky, uncaring of the increasingly heavy rain even as it soaked him to the bone.

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He was unsure of how long he'd sat there, although when he finally came back to himself he noted that sky had managed to turn inky black whilst he'd been lost in his thoughts. Blinking he looked around, realising that the rain had stopped at some point and beginning to shiver as the cold that had crept into his body finally registered. Realising that he was going to get sick or lectured if he stayed there much longer, and that he was supposed to have been back at the bar hours ago he forced himself to his feet with a muffled groan.

He'd barely taken a towards the roof access when pressure beyond anything he'd felt earlier wrapped itself around him, he could feel it wrapping itself around him, threatening to smother him as he staggered under it. A second later it seemed to ease slightly, but before he could feel any relief a sharp pain shot through his chest tearing a pained cry from his lips. As the pain seemed to increase he gasped, dropping to his knees as his skateboard clattered to the floor falling from suddenly nerveless hands. Forcefully biting back the urge to whimper he clawed frantically at his chest, vaguely aware of a new burning sensation that was spreading through his body, radiating outwards from the pain in his chest.

Desperately he tried to reach out through the clan bond, the terrifying void at the back of his mind finally causing the tears to fall as the new reminder of his loss cut into him. The fresh realization was accompanied by a more forceful spike of pain, and this time he was unable to prevent the whimper that fell from his lips. He could feel his mind trying to shut down in the face of the pain, shadows creeping in on the edges of his consciousness and he knew that needed help.

A faint thought sparked in the back of his mind, and biting his lip against the whimpers trying to fight free he fumbled for his pocket. With trembling fingers he managed to pull out his cell phone, for the first time glad that Izumo had forced them all to carry them at all times now the bond was gone. Swaying slightly he stared with hazy eyes at the phone for a second before fumbling at the buttons.

He'd barely managed to input the first few digits when the strongest spasm of pain so far sent the phone tumbling to the floor. Tears slipped down numb cheeks as he struggled to ride out the pain, whimpers escaping freely now and after a moment he toppled forward as the last of his strength drained out of him. He could barely focus through the pain and encroaching darkness, his arm stretching out weakly towards the phone. Vaguely he felt his fingers brush against the phone, but before he could grasp it his mind gave up its battle against the shadows and as it spiralled down into darkness his body went limp.

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Izumo glanced at the clock with a worried frown, before his gaze drifted across to the windows noting just how dark it had become outside. He'd been absorbed in cleaning the bar and trying to cheer Anna up and he hadn't realised just how late it had become, or how long it had been since Yata had slipped out of the bar. Although he knew the teen needed some space, especially at the moment, he had never been able to stay away for this long before.

"Kamamoto, did Yata say when he'd be back?" He asked leaving the bar and heading across to the other man, who glanced at the clock before his own expression deepened into one of concern.

"He just said he'd be back later, and I haven't heard anything from him," the other replied anxiously gesturing down at the phone that he'd been playing with, and the older man scowled as a sense of dread took over.

No matter how irresponsible Yata could be, the teen would never let them worry for no reason. And he had been particularly well behaved since Mikoto… for the last few weeks, so this sudden change was worrying. Izumo fished out his own phone and praying that the red-head had remembered to keep his with him, quickly dialled the teen's number, anxiously tapping his foot as the phone began to ring.

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Yata stirred slowly, a low moan escaping as the pain still riddling his body registered, and he had to fight the instinct to sink back into the oblivion of unconsciousness. A loud noise near his ear made him flinch, his head throbbing painfully as the sound ran through it. Blearily he lifted his head, absently noting how heavy it felt, and his gaze fell on his phone lying where it had fallen earlier. It slowly dawned on him what the awful noise was, and he reached for it with trembling fingers, sluggishly pulling it towards himself. For a second he attempted to read the screen, but his vision was too fuzzy and the pain was growing so in the end he gave up, instead fumbling for the answer button.

"'Lo," he managed to mumble, laying his head against the phone as the effort of keeping even a part of himself upright became too much.

"YATA?" Izumo's voice was deafening and he groaned as a fresh stab of pain throbbed through his head, an answering spike sending the rest of his body into a spasm and the groan morphed into a cry. Unintelligible words came from the phone as he fought to regain some control over his body, his thoughts growing increasingly fuzzy. With a sense of desperation he gritted his teeth, forcing himself to focus on the phone.

"Roof…Totsuka-san," he managed to choke out, not entirely sure that the words had come out clearly enough to be understood but unable to find the strength to repeat himself. He could hear more worried words coming from the phone, but they sounded as though they were coming from a great distance. Weakly he slumped further against the ground, his fingers curling loosely round the phone as he let himself sink back into the shadows, praying that the others had understood his words.

K-K

"Yata?" Izumo asked relieved that the teen had answered, but noting the pain in the whispered greeting and scowling in concern. The concern grew into full-blown worry as he heard Yata groan, and his eyes widened with alarm as the groan became a weak cry. "Yata what is it? Where are you? Yata? Yata can you hear me?" He demanded, aware that his voice was getting louder and louder, and drawing attention from the other HOMRA members who looked surprised and worried by his loss of composure.

Normally the thought of anyone seeing him lose control would have bothered him, but he couldn't worry about that now. Something was grievously wrong, and they couldn't afford to lose another member of their family especially not so soon after Mikoto.

"_Roof…"_ he stilled at the weak whisper, straining to hear. "_Totsuka-san_," the teen managed to gasp out, but then there was complete silence on the other end of the phone.

"Yata? Yata?" Izumo called down the phone, hoping for an answer of some sort. Instead all he heard was a faint thud as though something heavy had fallen against the floor, and his eyes narrowed with dread.

Keeping the line open he removed the phone briefly from his ears, turning to look at Kamamoto who was watching with anxious eyes.

"Come with me, we're going to find Yata," Izumo ordered although he knew that nothing would have stopped the blonde from coming and the other man nodded, immediately climbing to his feet. "The rest of you stay here," he ordered turning to look at the other HOMRA members, his gaze softening as met the Anna's frightened gaze, knowing that she would have detected just how serious the situation was. He forced a reassuring smile onto his face for a sake and she nodded, although he could see the knowing look in the crimson eyes and knew that she wasn't fooled for a second. "Let's go," he barked turning back to Kamamoto before heading for the door, trusting the other man to follow.

K-K-K

Yata drifted back into consciousness, wondering whether he'd woken in a furnace as intense heat pressed against him. The temperature was overwhelming and he found himself panting as he struggled to breathe under the oppressive heat, the effort sending fresh spikes of pain through him.

"Yata? Yata?" The tiny voice eventually caught his attention, and weakly he tilted his head as his eyes reluctantly opened, his gaze falling blearily on his phone. Vaguely aware that he had been on the phone he shifted across with a moan, pressing his eye against it.

"Izumo-san," he whispered with difficulty, dizzily gasping for air as the heat and effort drained what little strength he'd managed to dredge up.

"Yata we're on our way," Izumo replied clearly relieved to hear the other's voice, and his own words were underlain with reassurance and concern and to Yata's embarrassment he felt fresh tears forming in his eyes.

"It hurts," he whimpered out shifting slightly, and immediately regretting the movement as a fresh wave of pain engulfed his body. If anything the heat around him seemed to intensify, and his back arched off the ground as the pain grew and grew and the air around him seemed to thin. Unable to hold back anymore he began to sob, muffled moans escaping as the sobs shook his sore body.

Faintly he heard Izumo reassuring him they would be there in a few moments but he couldn't even find the strength to acknowledge. The sobs had faded along with his strength, but now he had begun to shiver and lines of fiery pain covered his entire body. It was with a sense of relief that he gave into the shadows, desperate to escape this pain.

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	2. Chapter 2

Thank you for the reviews, follows and favourites – they always make my day that much brighter.

Disclaimer: K and its wonderful characters don't belong to me, I'm just playing with them.

K-K-K-K

Izumo and Kamamoto took the stairs two at a time as they headed towards the roof where not long ago they'd lost a precious part of their family. Neither spoke as they ran, but the same unspoken fear filled them both, fuelled by the continued silence on the other end of the phone. The fact that the last sounds they'd heard from the red-head had been sobbing and agonised moans, only adding to that fear – especially as both knew that it took a lot to reduce Yata to such a state.

"Yata!"

"Yata-san!"

Their urgent cries died off into horrified silence as they finally reached the roof, their eyes widening as they fell on Yata. The teen was sprawled limply in a growing puddle of water, his hand still outstretched with the phone sat between limp fingers. Even from where they stood they could hear his laboured breathing, and the little bit of his face that they could see was twisted in an expression of pain even in unconsciousness.

"Yata," Izumo breathed as he shook of his paralysis, his eyes darkening as he swiftly moved across the rooftop and dropping to his knees beside the teen. Paying no heed to the water rapidly soaking into his trousers, he checked the teen's pulse alarmed by the heat pulsing through the other, and scowling as he watched how Yata was struggling to breathe and the beads of sweat covering every inch of skin. "Yata can you hear me?" He called slightly louder, glancing up as Kamamoto joined them, hovering anxiously.

Turning back to Yata Izumo gently rolled the teen over, concern growing when the movement triggered no reaction at all. Carefully he reached out and tapped the teen's face, hissing as he realised that the abnormal heat seemed to be increasing. With a growing sense of urgency Izumo rubbed firmly at Yata's sternum, wincing sympathetically as Yata began to shift, his face twisting with fresh pain as he tried to move away from Izumo's touch.

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Painstakingly slowly Yata's eyes fluttered open, although it took a few minutes for them to manage to stay open for more than a few seconds at a time. Although they were relieved to see him awake, his gaze was dazed and seemed to slide over them.

"Yata?" Izumo encouraged as he removed his hand, sighing with relief when the hazy gaze slowly drifted towards him and finally focused slightly.

"Izumo-san," Yata whispered finally, blinking heavily as the older man's face swam in and out of focus above him. Fresh tears of pain and relief trickled down his face, as he realised that he was no longer alone, weakly reaching out to grasp Izumo's hand to convince himself that this was real.

"What happened?" Izumo asked quietly as he squeezed the burning hand touching his, he could see that the teen was already starting to fade and knew that they needed to make the most of his lucidity. Yata blinked weakly up at him, clearly struggling to comprehend the question as he felt the shadows threating to swallow him again.

"Not sure," he mumbled out finally as he worked out what the other man was asking. "Pressure… pain, chest and head…hot…so hot," he managed to gasp out with difficulty before his eyes slid shut once more, his body going limp again.

"Yata?" Izumo called, but he already knew that the teen was unconscious again, and that along with Yata's rough description of what had happened making his concern skyrocket. Rubbing a hand over his face he glanced up at Kamamoto who was staring down at Yata with an expression of deep concern. "Let's get him home."

Carefully Izumo scooped the teen up into his arms, frowning as he realised just how slight the teen was and wincing as he felt the intense heat coming off the other. Cradling the red-head to his chest despite the discomfort, he got to his feet and let Kamamoto lead the way down from the roof, trying to repress a sense of dread as his gaze was drawn to the spot where Totsuka had died.

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Silence fell over the bar as they stepped through the door, and Izumo realised that the bar was far busier than usual for that time of night. Clearly everyone had picked up on his concern earlier, and whilst normally it would be a relief to know that their closeness and loyalty had survived the death of their King, he knew that Yata would hate to know that they were all seeing him this vulnerable. His attention however, was drawn to Anna as the little girl shot to her feet with a frightened cry, her crimson eyes filling with tears as she rushed across to them.

"He'll be okay Anna," Izumo said hastily unable to stand the sight of her tears, even if he didn't know for certain that everything was going to be okay… the uneasy feeling in the back of his mind was growing, and he had come to far relying on his instincts to be able to dismiss them now. "Let us take him upstairs," he said and she nodded reluctantly as she pulled away, and he could feel her crimson-gaze burning into his back as he and Kamamoto headed upstairs and away from the overbearing watchfulness of the rest of HOMRA.

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Upstairs they headed for one of the spare rooms that Izumo had set up to provide shelter for HOMRA members when needed. Closing the door behind them to ensure that none of the bolder members could come and have a peek at what was happening, they set about quickly stripping the teen out of his sodden clothes and changing him into dry, oversized clothes that Kamamoto unearthed in the wardrobe.

"Can you fetch me some cool water and cloth please?" Izumo asked as he gently settled Yata into the bed, carefully tucking the covers around the teen as Kamamoto quickly obeyed. Sitting down on the edge of the bed the former second-in-command sighed heavily as he intently contemplated the unconscious teen.

It was too soon he mused anxiously as he found himself reaching out to gently brush chestnut locks away from the teen's forehead. Neither he nor the rest of HOMRA were in any state to deal with another crisis so soon to the last, and especially not one involving someone as central to their misfit family as the teen in the bed.

"Should we call a doctor?" Kamamoto asked seriously as he reappeared with the requested supplies, startling the older man out of his thoughts as he set the bowl of water on the chest of drawers. Accepting the offered cloth Izumo dunked it into the water, wringing it out and gently laid on Yata's brow as he considered the question. It would be the normal thing to do in this situation, especially given how high Yata's temperature was.

"I'm reluctant to," he said finally, his eyes narrowing as watched Yata shift restlessly on the bed. "You know how much Yata hates doctors." He explained, deciding to leave out his own unease and Kamamoto nodded in understanding – it was always a nightmare convincing the teen to seek first aid whenever he was injured, recalling how it had taken a direct order from Mikoto to get him into hospital the time he'd broken his arm in a boarding accident. He'd never explained why he went to such lengths to avoid medical attention, and truthfully they'd never pried.

"What about the others?" He asked gesturing towards the door, knowing that it wouldn't be to long before the more worried/curious decided to risk venturing upstairs.

"Tell them that he's got a fever and that I'm staying with him tonight, and then try and clear some of them out. The last thing we need is them hovering around here all night," Izumo said, knowing that if he didn't put his foot down that was exactly what they would do.

"Alright and I'll take Anna with me as well, she'll just fret if she stays here," Kamamoto said, and Izumo nodded knowing that the other would keep Anna safe; and with a last worried look at the unconscious teen Kamamoto retreated.

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Several Hours Later:

Izumo started awake as he felt something jerk against himself, cursing as he realised that he'd allowed himself to doze off. At once anxious eyes shot to Yata and he realised at once what had woken him as the teen writhed restlessly on the bed, his face twisted into a mask of pain.

"Yata," he reached out to brush a hand against the teen's flushed cheeks, snatching it back with wide eyes as he realised just how hot the other had become. With shaking hands he retrieved the cloth that had fallen aside at some point and soaked in the water for a moment before reapplying it, however, within seconds steam was visibly coming from the cloth and when he cautiously picked it up, it was completely dry once more. _What was this?_

He reached for his phone realising that this was going beyond his ability to treat, and hoping that the hot-head would forgive him when he was better. However, he'd just entered the first digit when there was a low moan from the bed, and he dropped the phone as his attention immediately shot back to the bed.

"Yata? Can you hear me? Open your eyes for me," he encouraged in a soft voice as he noted the frown marring the other's brow and a slight decrease in the restless movements. It took several minutes but eventually he was rewarded by slitted eyes peering up at him, the confusion in them clear to see.

"Where?" He asked hoarsely as his gaze roved uneasily around the room, before coming back to focus slightly on Izumo.

"At HOMRA," Izumo replied gently, relieved to see some lucidity returning to the other's eyes although he doubted it would last for much longer. "How are you feeling?"

"Hot," Yata gasped shifting restlessly again. "Is Mikoto angry…it's only this hot when he's angry." He murmured as his gaze resumed its aimless roving, and the older man felt the earlier dread reaching a new high as Yata's words registered. "Did I make him angry?" Yata asked sounding young and vulnerable as his eyes resettled on Izumo, the older swallowing hard as he saw the deep pain hidden beneath the fevered light in the other's eyes.

"No," he murmured soothingly, re-soaking the cloth and using it to gently wipe across the teen's face in the hopes of settling him somewhat. "Mikoto is never mad at you, you know that," he admonished gently, and it was true, it had always been left to him to be the disciplinarian in their ragtag family. Mikoto had always been amused by Yata's hot temper and actions, and more than once he'd commented that the teen was who he would've been if he'd not become the Red King.

"Really?" Yata asked, and it was painful to hear the hope in his voice as he leant into the cooling touch, his eyes beginning to drift shut again.

"Really," Izumo confirmed and was rewarded by a small smile as the teen drifted off again, settling into a less restless doze, and a peaceful expression settling over his face. "Yata what is going on in that head of yours?" He asked, knowing that there would be no answer forthcoming – the teen wasn't one to open up about his feelings and as soon as he was well again this vulnerability would disappear behind a wall of anger of bravado.

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Sighing he checked the teen's temperature relieved to find that although it was still abnormally warm it was cooler than it had been before. After Yata's fevered words he knew that the hospital was out of the question, not only because it would humiliate the teen for others to see him in this state, but in case he started talking about HOMRA.

"Mikoto," he whispered glancing upwards, wandering if his King and friend was still there watching over them. "I'm not sure that I'm enough to look after them," he admitted closing his eyes with a sigh as he sat back in his chair. It was a feeling he'd been having more and more since Mikoto's death, especially whenever a member left, or when Anna cried…their clan needed a King…no it needed Mikoto. He was suited to being a second-in-command, not a leader.

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Across town in the spare room of Kamamoto's sparsely decorated apartment, Anna started awake from a restless sleep. Crimson eyes wide as she stared up at the ceiling for a moment before her gaze darted to where her marbles rested on the bed-side table. A startled gasp escaping her as she lunged for them, a spark of crimson light in their depths sending a spark of hope through her.

"_A single ember is enough to rekindle the fire."_

K-K-K

I'll try and update asap, I hope you enjoyed the chapter.


	3. Chapter 3

Sorry for the delayed update, I have been ill all week – so I have literally been going work to bed, bed to work.

Thanks for all the reviews, favourites and follows.

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Izumo groaned as he wearily opened his eyes, forcing his stiff body into an upright position in the chair which he had silently vowed to get rid of after a night of enduring its hardness. Blearily he rubbed a hand over his face, before a faint noise jolted him into full wakefulness. Dark eyes immediately darting to the teen sleeping peacefully in the centre of the bed, with a worried frown he reached out and brushed his fingers across the other's forehead. He was relieved to find that the teen's temperature was only just above normal now.

It had been a long night, and Yata's temperature had peaked several times – each time being accompanied with desperate pleas for either Mikoto or Mikoto's forgiveness. No matter what assurances Izumo had uttered, the teen had been inconsolable, and the sheer emotion in his voice as he cried out for their King had almost brought the older man to tears. However, for now at least it seemed as though the worst was over.

Glancing across at the clock he was shocked to realise that it was already mid-morning, clearly he'd been more tired than he realised. He shook his head wryly at that thought, it hadn't been that long ago that staying up all night had been a frequent thing, and he'd still been raring to go the next morning. Now he wanted nothing more than to curl up for a nap, but he knew that the other members would be turning up soon – in fact he was surprised that they hadn't already turned up. Although they had all seen Yata the night before, and they had probably decided to give them some extra time – he smiled at that thought; they might all be hooligans but they were surprisingly thoughtful at times.

With a grimace he got to his feet, stretching out the stiffness in his limbs. With a last lingering glance at the teen he made his way for the door, he'd open up the bar and rope someone into keeping an eye on the bar so he could continue keeping an eye on Yata. Although he hoped that it would just be a case of the teen sleeping off the rest of whatever had triggered this fever.

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Downstairs he was startled to find that Kamamoto and Anna had already arrived and were quietly preparing the bar for the day's usage, both turning equally worried expressions on him when he appeared. Quickly he reassured that the teen seemed to be on the mend, causing the older man to relax and Anna to sigh with relief. The little strain then brightened and bounded over to Izumo, thrusting her hands out towards him, her beloved marbles rolling across her palms.

"Anna?" He asked curiously, she was very protective of her marbles and rarely let anyone other than Mikoto get a close look at them.

"Look," she instructed and he was startled to hear the happiness in her voice, and her eyes were shining as she impatiently shoved her marbles closer to his face. Deciding it was best to humour her he bent down and examined the marbles. For a long moment he wasn't able to see what had gotten her so excited, but just as he was about to pull away and explain that he spotted the faint spark of crimson in their depths.

"What is that?"

"A new King is being born," she whispered excitedly nearly bouncing on toes and he could only gape at her in shock. It was much too soon for a new Red King to be chosen…both for their emotions and from what little he knew about the Kings.

"Do you know who?" He asked at last, and she shook her head as she clenched her hand around the marbles as she brought them to rest against her chest.

"He's not ready yet," she said quietly, and Izumo nodded knowing that she could only see so much, and quietly relieved to know that they had a little time before they would have to face the reality of a new King. Just the thought of that felt wrong to the second-in-command, even though he knew that HOMRA really needed a King, he just couldn't imagine anyone other than Mikoto in that role.

"Let me know if you learn anything else," he ordered softly and she nodded before quietly slipping the marbles back into her pocket and heading back across to help Kamamoto with cleaning the tables.

Unnerved by her news he quickly moved across to the bar and began to unpack his glasses, his thoughts whirling between the idea of their being a new King and his concern over the teen sleeping upstairs. He wondered just how much their clan could take…or just how much more he could take.

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Yata whimpered slightly as he woke up, his body protesting as the movement aggravated the pain lingering from the night before. He blinked as that thought registered, staring blankly at the ceiling as the memory of the horrific pain from the night before came back to him. Shuddering he glanced around realising that he wasn't in his own room – although the incredibly comfortable bed beneath him should have been the first clue. After a long moment he realised that he was in the spare room at HOMRA, he'd been in this room a few times before, generally when he'd gotten himself beaten up and needed patching up.

Slowly he sat up, clutching at his chest as a twinge went through him and he wondered what on earth was going on. At least the overwhelming heat from the night before seemed to have vanished for now, although he had a strange feeling, as though he was somewhat disconnected from his own body even as the twinge of pain shot through him once more.

"Yata-san?" The quiet voice made him jump and he had to bite back a hiss of pain as he jolted his saw body, turning bleary eyes towards the door and forcing a weak smile as he found Kamamoto peering in through the door.

"Hey," he replied quietly and the older man brightened before stepping into the room. His normal sunglasses were missing and the teen could see the concern in the eyes that were examining him closely, and he had to bite back his irritation at the perusal. He hated being coddled, but he could remember how desperate he'd been for someone to be there last night on the roof-top.

"How are you feeling?" Kamamoto asked seriously halting at the end of the bed.

"Sore but better," Yata replied, deciding not to mention the odd feeling of disconnection he was feeling, after all it would just make them worry more. The older man didn't look too convinced by his words, but thankfully didn't pursue it. "What happened?" Yata asked, he could vaguely remember seeing his friend and Izumo on the rooftop but nothing after that, and the loss of memory bothered him more than anything.

"You passed out again after we found you, and we brought you back here," Kamamoto explained gesturing at the room. "You were ill all night with a high fever. Izumo-san said it only cleared up a few hours ago."

"Did…did he stay with me all night?" Yata asked uncertainly and the older man nodded causing the teen to pale, he hadn't wanted to cause that much trouble. He was embarrassed to think that Izumo had, had to spend the entire night with him and praying that he hadn't said anything to ridiculous during his fever – well aware of his tendency to talk aloud when feverish.

"He said you should just rest for today," Kamamoto said and Yata scowled, admittedly he still didn't feel right but he was reluctant to just languish in bed. "You were very ill last night, please just listen to us today Yata-san," the older man added seeing the stubbornness rearing its head in the teen, and trying to convey the worry they were all feeling. The entire clan had been quiet today, the ones that had seen Yata the night before telling the others just how disconcerting it had been to see the hot-headed teen laid low.

For his part the teen noted the concern in his friend's voice, and knew that he couldn't do anything else to raise that concern. Especially not when they were all still reeling from Mikoto's death, and silently he nodded in agreement, earning a relieved smile from the other.

"I'll let Izumo-san know you're awake, and get you something to eat," Kamamoto said, sounding much more animated now that Yata had agreed to stay put and the teen forced a smile as the older man practically bounded out of the room.

K-K

As soon as he was alone the smile vanished, and Yata sighed heavily, cursing himself for falling ill at this time – and for causing the others so much worry. Realising that he needed the bathroom he gingerly slipped out of the bed, wincing slightly as he stood, his body upping its protest at the fresh movement. He grimaced as he realised that the clothes he was wearing were much too big for him, and with a low growl he grabbed fistfuls of the materials and pulling them up so that he wouldn't trip over the excess material.

Cautiously he padded to the door and slipped out into the hallway, not wanting to be caught out of bed after promising to stay put. Although he was sure that the others wouldn't blame him for needing the bathroom. He could hear the soft murmur of voices for downstairs and a fond smile flickered across his face as he listened for a minute, it was the sound of home and family and it helped settle him somewhat.

Stepping into the bathroom he made a beeline for the toilet, nearly tripping on the bottoms of his leggings as he released the excess material. Cursing he quickly finished his business, determined to get back into bed before anyone caught him – there was no way he was going to make them worry even more about him. Stepping across to the basin he washed his hands, before glancing up at his reflection and pausing with a frown.

His skin was paler than normal and there were dark bags under his eyes. In other words he looked pretty horrible, and he couldn't really blame Kamamoto for looking so worried. Scowling he poked irritably at the bags beneath his eyes, before a sudden flash of crimson made him freeze. Tentatively he raised his gaze once more to stare at himself in the mirror, staggering back as crimson fire flashed across his eyes.

"What?" He whispered watching with a mixture of awe and terror as his normally hazel eyes were slowly dyed crimson, raising trembling hands towards them as though expecting to feel either fire or blood but there was nothing there. And yet the mirror clearly showed that his eyes were now a deep crimson colour, the colour of Mikoto's fires and tears trickled down his cheeks at that reminder and he felt himself slump numbly to his knees.

K-K-K

Downstairs Anna let out a happy cry as she pulled out her marbles, and Izumo who'd been watching her carefully since she'd shown him the spark earlier was immediately at her size. They both stared wide-eyed at the marbles which were shaking in the strain's hands, the crimson spark growing before their eyes although it still failed to fill the orbs indicating that whilst progress was occurring it still wasn't time.

"Any clues?" Izumo asked, noting the slight unsteadiness in his voice as he spoke and the way the other members were watching them curiously.

"The fire's growing," Anna whispered but then her shoulders dropped as the crimson in the marbles died down again, leaving only the small spark from before. "Something is holding the fire back," she added after a moment scowling at the marbles as though it was their fault, and Izumo frowned at her words – how could something hold back the Red King's flames? They were both so focused on their discussion and the flickering spark in the marbles that they failed to notice the oddly dressed figure slipping out of the side door of the bar.

K-K

Yata sighed with relief as he quietly closed the door behind him, quickly scrubbing a hand across his face to obliterate the evidence that he'd been crying. After a few minutes slumped on the bathroom floor he'd managed to force himself to get to his feet, only to find that his eyes had returned to their normal colour and there was no trace of the fire he'd seen moments before. Frightened he'd checked his own temperature, almost hoping that the fever had returned so that he could blame whatever he'd seen on that but his temperature was normal.

Freaked out he almost sought out Izumo, and in fact he'd been halfway down the stairs when he'd come to his senses. How could he burden the older man with something that he might well have imagined? He'd already caused Izumo to spend the night watching over him due to some stupid illness, and he was also trying desperately to keep their family together. Whatever was happening to him, if in fact there was anything happening, he would deal with it himself he decided resolutely. However, he also realised that he couldn't stay at the bar.

Taking a deep breath he crept down the rest of the stairs, peering cautiously into the bar and spotting Izumo talking seriously with Anna as they both stared at something in her hand. Although he was curious to know what they were talking about he decided it was best to make use of their distraction and quickly slipped out of the side door.

K

Shivering he scowled down at the oversized clothes he was wearing, missing his own clothes and especially the comfort of his beanie, but he hadn't had the time to go back and look for them. He hoped that no one – especially that blasted Saru – got the chance to him in this get up. Gritting his teeth he quickly took off down the street, ignoring the odd looks sent his way as he knew that it wouldn't be long before his escape was discovered.

K-K-K

I will try and update sooner this time.


	4. Chapter 4

Thanks for the reviews, favourites and follows.

Disclaimer: K and its characters don't belong to me, I'm just borrowing them.

K-K-K-K

Yata sighed with relief as he finally slipped up the stairs to his own tiny flat, clumsily opening the door and shutting it with more force than necessary as he lent against it to catch his breath. It had taken him longer to get home that he'd expected, and his body was aching as though he'd just been in a fight rather than just walking home. Thankfully though he'd managed to avoid running into anyone from either HOMRA or SCEPTER 4 although he was convinced that he'd caught a glimpse of the hated blue uniforms at one point, but a second look had just revealed curious bypassers staring at his odd attire.

Reminded of his annoyingly baggy clothes he pushed himself upright with a faint groan and headed for his bedroom, hopefully a quick shower and changing into his own clothes would help settle the nervous energy still surging through him after what he'd seen in the mirror. As he rooted through his wardrobe he heard his phone beginning to ring and he cursed as he pulled it out of his pocket and stared at the screen, Izumo's name flashed up and he knew that his escape had been discovered. Truthfully he'd expected them to be on to him sooner.

For a second he hesitated over the answer button before sitting back and waiting for it to stop ringing, rolling his eyes when it chimed a moment later to indicate a voicemail message. Deciding that he wasn't in the mood to listen to what would doubtlessly be a scolding message he flipped through to his texts and sent a short message saying that he was fine and that he'd be back later before turning the phone off.

Tossing it onto the bed he went back to sorting out some clothes, gathering what he needed before heading into the bathroom. For a brief second he hesitated before glancing warily at his reflection, relief filling him when he was met by the sight of his normal hazel orbs with no trace of the odd crimson light he'd seen earlier. He was growing more and more convinced that he'd been imagining things, and hoped that it could just be chalked up to a lingering remnant of his fever. Nodding at that thought he dumped his clothes on the toilet and switched on the shower, scowling at the familiar creak of pipes as the aged contraption reluctantly came to life – he really needed to find a better flat.

Once the shower had reached the ideal temperature he slipped out of the baggy clothes, which he tossed carefully into the laundry basket knowing that they would want them back at some point.

K-K

Izumo growled out a curse as the phone rang through to voicemail, and not bothering to hide his irritation he left a sharp message ordering Yata to call him back at once before slamming his phone shut. Moments later his phone beeped and he opened it to find a message from the missing teen stating that he was okay and would be back later, which did absolutely nothing to comfort the second-in-command who promptly redialled the number only to be confronted with the voicemail machine.

"He's turned off his phone," he snarled as he closed the phone once more before turning back to Kamamoto, the burly man looking torn before worry and annoyance – he'd originally been furious at the teen for taking off after promising to stay put. But then reality had kicked in and he'd begin to worry – knowing how rare it was for Yata to break a promise to one of his friends, and wondering what could have happened to make him take off. "He sent a message saying he's okay and that he'll be back later."

"So we wait?" Kamamoto asked, not entirely liking that idea especially after the events of the night before and Izumo sighed wearily before glancing at Anna who was watching the exchange with worried eyes.

"For now," he said eventually and they could both hear the reluctance in his voice. "Something's clearly bothering him and if he doesn't want to share it we can't force him." After hearing the things that Yata had let out during his fever he wasn't entirely sure how to even deal with what was bothering the teen, and he was hoping that Yata would be able to get himself together if they gave him some space. The other two nodded seeing the resolution in his face even if they didn't fully understand it, trusting that he had more insight into the hot-headed teen's behaviour than they did.

K-K

After his shower Yata had been hit by a wave of exhaustion and after stumbling through getting dressed he admitted defeat and headed to bed for a nap. He hoped that a bit more sleep would help kick the rest of this illness out of his body, remembering with a slight pang of guilt that Kamamoto had told him that he needed to rest. At least he was sort of taking their advice he mused as he crawled into bed, distressed to realise that for the first time in years he felt more at ease in his home than he did at HOMRA.

That thought sent a shudder through and desperately trying to block out such thoughts he burrowed down under the covers, relieved when he felt his exhaustion pulling on him and praying that he managed to sleep without dreams. He couldn't remember a single night where he'd managed to sleep through since…then. Wearily he closed his eyes hoping that everything would seem better when he woke.

K-K

Yata moaned as he woke, the heat that had plagued him the night before had returned with a vengeance and he found himself panting as he rolled onto his back. The ceiling and light above his head was swimming in and out of focus, and he found himself becoming nauseous from the motion even though logically he knew nothing was moving. Briefly he considered calling Izumo or Kamamoto, knowing that if it was as bad as before he might need help – but this time he was at home rather than out in the rain and he didn't want to cause them anymore worry so he pushed that thought aside.

Shakily he forced himself upright and cautiously swung himself out of bed, wavering as he got to his before unsteadily making his way to the bathroom. Unfortunately now the entire room was swaying around him and the nausea was increasing, somehow he managed to stagger to the toilet slumping to his knees just in time as he lost control of his stomach. It was nearly ten minutes later before he stopped, by which point he'd been reduced to violent dry heaves that had rocked his sore body.

Weakly he lent back against the tiles breathing heavily, sighing as their coolness soothed the relentless heat that was threating to devour him. What on earth was wrong with him? He wondered blearily as a spasm of pain passed through him; this was unlike any illness he'd ever had before. A fresh surge of heat and pain went through him and he whimpered, realising as he did so that he needed to cool down and soon – even as dazed as he was, he this heat was dangerous.

With more effort than it should have taken he managed to stagger back to his feet, his hands desperately grabbing the wall for support as he made his way slowly to the shower. With shaking fingers he fumbled with the shower until he got it onto lukewarm, shivering as the cool water brushed past the burning skin on his arm even as it sent relief through him. For a moment he considered stripping but a quick glance at his shaking hands told him it would take too long, so with a sigh he stepped under the cool rush of water.

Leaning against the wall he found himself slowly slipping down to the floor of the shower, his legs no longer able to support him as the overwhelming heat sapped his strength. He was used to being warmer than most people, it had been a side-effect of being part of the Red Clan and it hurt to realise that something that had once bought comfort was now hurting him. Bitter tears trickled free at that thought and he buried his head against his knees, the bitterness melting away into fresh pain as the heat in his body seemed to rally and intensify.

He was so lost in his pain and misery that he failed to notice when the water splashing against his skin ceased to feel cool; or when a short while later it ceased to reach his skin altogether as steam filled the bathroom. The heat in and around him was growing and intensifying past the extent it had reached the previous night, and pain was flooding his overheating body. Yata cried out as the heat burned through him, writhing desperately in a futile attempt to escape everything until at last his mind spiralled down into blissful darkness, unaware of the crimson glow playing around his body.

K-K-K

Anna froze as something tugged at the edges of her senses, crimson eyes widening with realisation as she turned towards Izumo who'd instantly noticed her odd actions. At once he abandoned the bar heading for her side as she pulled out her marbles again, and even at a distance he could see that they were flooded with a crimson light, blazing even more brightly than they had earlier.

"Something's wrong," she whispered as the marbles in her hand began to spin in the centre of her palm, the crimson taking on a slightly sickly shade as it flickered wildly. "Map," she ordered glancing at him desperately, and he nodded as he immediately reversed course the little strain hurrying after him although her gaze never left her marbles. Izumo rummaged behind the bar looking for the map that he knew he kept stashed behind it, cursing he sent several glasses flying before finally producing the map.

Anna practically snatched the map away from him before darting across to an unoccupied table, leaving Izumo to hurry after her. With clumsy hands she spread the map on the table before carefully setting her marbles down on top of it, watching them with expectant eyes as they began to whirl faster and faster.

"Where? Where are you?" She asked, her voice high with a mixture of worry and frustration as they seemed unwilling to settle on a particular direction or destination. Izumo lent in closely to watch, aware of the attention their unusual actions was drawing but unwilling to get everyone's hopes up until they had a better idea of what was happening.

"Anna…" He trailed off as suddenly the marbles ceased their aimless spinning before abruptly darting off in one direction, finally coming to a rest of a street several blocks from the pub and Anna let a triumphant cry.

"There," She stated and her eyes were sparkling as she glanced up at him, her frustration giving way to excitement. "The New Kings is being born," she added as the marbles flared brighter and brighter although the sickly taint lingered in the centre, and Izumo knew that she was right and whatever had been holding the power in check earlier was gone. Not entirely sure whether that was going to prove a good thing or not he leant in to examine the map, dark eyes widening in horrified realisation as it dawned on him just where the marbles had stopped.

"Yata," he breathed in alarm, everything falling into place as he thought back to the events of the previous night. Anna looked up at his murmur and her own eyes widened as she realised what he was implying, the happiness fading from her expression as she recalled how Yata had looked the night before – the sickly taint in her marbles taking on new meaning.

"Kamamoto we need to get to Yata's," Izumo called as he straightened knowing that he couldn't give in to his shock just yet, turning to where the other man had been sat playing cards with some of the other members. Hearing the concern in the former second-in-commands voice he wasted no time in tossing his cards aside, ignoring the complaints of his opponents as he moved across to join them.

"What's happened?" He asked seeing the fear and worry in both of their faces, and already cursing himself for not going after the teen earlier.

"I'll explain on the way we need to hurry," Izumo said already heading for the door, and Kamamoto followed obediently with Anna scooping up her marbles before chasing after them – leaving the rest of HOMRA to stare after them with confusion and concern.

K-K-K

A/N: Hoping to have the next chapter up by the end of Monday.

(Bonus scene, because the image of Yata in over-sized clothing is still making my mind go squee).

_**Fushimi had been lurking near HOMRA since the early morning, the odd encounter with Misaki the night before had been playing on his mind all night and he found himself needing to check that his rival was alright. He ignored the somewhat suspicious glances sent his way by passer-by's, carefully ducking out of sight if he recognised anyone from HOMRA knowing that Munakata would not be impressed if he wound up in a scrap with the former Red clan.**_

_**Glancing at his watch he frowned, usually Misaki would have been up and at the pub by now and he found himself uneasy at the discrepancy. He tried to tell himself it was because he didn't want the Crow to be defeated by anyone or anything but him, but deep down he knew the odd feeling in his gut was concern. Gritting his teeth at that thought he paced uneasily, his eyes darting constantly to the pub as he sought out the familiar beanie hat.**_

_**It was nearly an hour later than he caught sight of his quarry, and he nearly bypassed him as the younger teen wasn't wearing his trademark outfit. Coming to a halt he stared at Misaki, a scowl forming as he saw how pale and tired the other looked and wondering what had happened to place the almost fearful expression on the other's face. Misaki was never afraid…at least not outwardly so the expression was completely out of place on the face that was usually fixed in either a bright grin or angry scowl.**_

_**However, he was quickly distracted as he took in what the other teen was wearing. Whoever had lent him those clothes was at least two sizes bigger and taller than the slight teen, and the clothes were absolutely drowning him. Part of him wanted to use the sight to mock the teen, especially as he wanted to check that he could still get a rise out of the Crow after being ignored the night before. **_

_**But the sight of Misaki struggling to hold the trousers up stopped him in his tracks, a small grin threatening to break through as he took in the cute sight. Wait…What!? He shook his head at his own idiocy, how could he have thought even for a second that the loud-mouthed teen was cute? Clearly being up this early was scrambling his head. Realising that Misaki was now heading in his direction he quickly retreated around the corner, cautiously sticking his head out to watch as the teen went past and having to bit his lip as the other tripped slightly on the bottoms of the trousers….definitely cute!**_


End file.
